Ready To Love Again
by writingowl
Summary: Losing Robin saddened her because she had finally believed she had a second chance. But what if she was wrong? What if he wasn't her second chance? What if there was another man in town who was supposed to be her second chance?
1. Chapter 1

**Seems like I was walking in the wrong direction  
I barely recognize my own reflection, no  
Scared of love but scared of life alone**

His eyes darted across the room as the words came out of her mouth. David couldn't believe it was all happening again. Snow had been part of Regina's first heartbreak and now Emma had created a new one. The peace had visited town for a short period and chaos had just arrived once again.

"Regina!" He felt the name leaving his lips as he followed her out.  
"Go back to your coronation party, Charming."  
"I see you're back on evil mode."  
"What do you want David?" She asked as she fought the tears threatening to roll down her cheeks.  
"I wanted to see if you were okay."  
"Do I look okay, Charming?" Regina was no longer fighting the tears. "Do you think I cry because my heart wants to be broken yet again?"  
"Regina, I am going to hug you now."  
"What? N…"

Before she could finish the phrase, she found herself in an embrace that made her feel safe. He wrapped his arms around her, just above her waist. His arms felt strong against her tiny body. She could feel the raising of his chest as he breathed in and out. And for reasons that she didn't understand, Regina rested her face against his shoulder right where it met with his neck. David didn't smell like forest. He smelled of sweet cologne which she believed fit his personality perfect. Her whole body relaxed and she lost herself in his arms.

"Thank…thank you, David."  
"Wow no sassiness there." He flashed her a charming smile as he let go of her.  
"Don't push it."  
He nodded. "Are you going to be okay?"  
"Always am."  
"Regina, you are better than any man. I know it hurts but you will be okay. You are stronger than this."  
"Do you really think that?"  
"I know it."

David was staring at her, trying to figure out a way to reach her, when Robin Hood walked out of the diner. Right behind him, his wife, who was supposed to be dead, walked out carrying their son. He felt the tension running through Regina's body and, against his past, he stood in front of her protecting her with his body. Robin wouldn't physically hurt her but he had done enough already.

"Regina, may we speak?"  
"I think you should leave her alone tonight."  
"David, with all due respect this is none of your business." Robin looked at Regina standing behind the prince. "And the lady may speak for herself."  
"You've done enough for the night, thief." His pulse had intensified and the veins on his body looked tense. "Go back to your forest."

As she watched Robin and his family walk away, Regina couldn't wrap her mind around what she had just witnessed. David and Robin had attempted a friendship in the last year but the prince didn't hesitate to attack in order to protect her. _To protect her_. That was echoing in her mind. Yes, the Charmings had been good to her in the last few months, but was that a reason to defend her? She was grateful, though, for David because she wouldn't have been able to face Robin.

"Thief? Go back to your forest?"  
"Was I a bit harsh?"  
"A bit is underestimated." She grinned. "Thank you, David."  
"I couldn't let him hurt you."  
"I don't believe his aim was to hurt me."  
"The pain, it's visible in your eyes. It came back the minute he hugged _her_."  
"Have you ever felt the pain you are talking about? Have you ever felt that you heart stopped beating even if it hasn't?"  
"No, I can't say I have."  
"That's how I feel right now."  
"May I ask you something without offending you?"  
"If you have to ask, it means I will be offended."  
"Just…May I?"  
"Go ahead."  
"Do you truly love him? Or the fact that someone told you he was your soul-mate made you fall for him?"  
"How dare you, Mr. Nolan? How dare you ask such things?"  
"You said I could. And replying with a question isn't a good sign, your majesty."  
"Watch your tone."

Regina looked at David out the corner of her eye and could see the changes in his body structure. The first time they had met, he looked like a small shepherd boy who barely knew how to be around others. His back wasn't a noticeable feature and his arms looked like they were about to break. But not anymore. His arms were stronger and his back gave him the posture worthy of a prince. Nowadays, if David walked into a room, people turned around to look at him.

"I don't know." She hugged herself. "The only person I've loved in the last years is Henry. I don't think I know what it means to romantically love someone."  
"Then you don't love him." He stood right in front of her looking into her eyes. "If you did, you would feel it. Feel it here," he touched his hand to her chest where her heart was beating. "Do you feel it here?"  
"I don't know, David. I don't love the way you do!" Tears were once again forming in her eyes.  
"You don't have to love the way I do. You just have to open your heart."  
"Every time I try, I end up getting hurt!"  
"Life is a bitch, I know."

David realized he still had his hand on her chest and quickly moved it away. Never did he picture himself talking to the Evil Queen about love. But there he was. Regina was as vulnerable as any of them; they had just never seen it.

"I know you have to head back inside, but do you mind sitting out here with me for a while?"  
"Not at all." They sat at the small tables outside Granny's. "I'm sure they are all entertained."  
"How do you do it?"  
"How do I do what?"  
"How do you always find good in life? In people?"  
"No, I don't."  
"You do. Even in me."  
"I guess it's because I have to believe there's something else. It isn't easy and there are times when I can't do it. Like with King George."  
"Well, he is a bastard."  
David chuckled and saw her eyes smiling. "He most certainly is. See? I don't always find good in everything."  
"You almost always do. What do you see in me?"  
"You are a good mother, you are passionate, you love with every fiber of your body and you protect what you love. Plus, I've heard you are a good kisser."  
She felt the heat on herself as she blushed. "You heard that."  
"There's nothing wrong with it."  
"I didn't say there was, I just thought no one had heard that."  
"He called you a good kisser, that's good." He winked at her before leaning back on his chair.

Was Charming flirting? Or was that his normal way to act around women? Maybe that was why Snow had nicknamed him Charming. She had no idea what was going on and how she had ended up talking to David about her love life, but for some reason it didn't feel wrong. Quite the opposite in fact. She felt _safe_, if that was the word she could use. Everything in her life was chaotic lately. She had woken up in Storybrooke without memories of the last year. Henry had come back to town without remembering her. Her half-sister had showed up and tried to destroy everything she ever cared about. A man who was supposedly her soul-mate had shown up in her life. And the Charmings had been awfully nice to her. Regina's life was definitely not the way she pictured it being.

"What about you? Are you a good kisser?"  
"You will have to ask Snow about that." David laughed rubbing his chin. "But I do remember you tried to kiss me while I was under the curse."  
"That was just a tactic, dear. Don't flatter yourself."  
"I am sure you would have loved it."  
"Wow! Such an enormous ego for a shepherd boy."  
"I am a prince."  
"And that justifies the big ego?"  
"I believe it does, yes."  
Regina found herself genuinely laughing. "Oh, dear."  
"We both know you wanted to kiss me."  
"I did. But not for the reasons you would like to hear."  
"I know," David looked at her and for a second she felt lost in the deepness of his blue eyes, "you wanted to kiss me to hurt Snow."  
"Did you ever tell her?"  
"No, it wouldn't have been the honorable thing to do."  
"You are always doing the honorable thing. Don't you get tired of it?"  
"Maybe."  
"You do! That's why you were about to kill that mermaid when I pushed you to do it."  
"We aren't all good and we aren't all evil. We are gray."  
"Are you seriously using a color to describe human beings? That isn't very charming of you, dear."  
"Bear with me, will you?"  
"Okay, I'm listening."  
"We are raised to believe that if we do the right thing, we will be good people. You were raised by a mother who wanted you to be queen because in her eyes that was the only good. I was raised by a mother who wanted me to follow my heart because it would lead me to the goodness of life. But what if they were wrong? No one is completely good. No one is completely bad. We are all gray. We have a good side and we have a bad side. We choose which of those defines us."  
"You might be right."

They remained in silence for a while. Regina was wondering what evilness could ever possess David. Yes, he would have killed the mermaid if Snow hadn't interfered. But, did that mean he was evil? Of course not. He had done more good in his life than anyone she had ever met. He loved his family. He fought for his people. He wanted nothing but good for everyone he knew. And she wasn't like that. She had tried to destroy everyone's life because she was miserable. But then again, she had loved Henry. He had been the goodness in her life. Could that mean David was right? Could that mean they weren't all good and they weren't all bad?

The moonlight was shining against her face and he could see the lip scar right above her upper lip. That was his favorite thing about her face. She had beautiful eyes that could show exactly was she was feeling. Her nose fitted her features perfectly. The smile that appeared from time to time was stunning and breathtakingly gorgeous. But the lip scar was his favorite. It held a story that not everyone knew. It made her look mysterious and sexy at the same time. He could picture himself running his fingertip against it, feeling the smoothness of her skin under his touch.

"I have to head back inside but first I want to ask you something."  
"Are you trying to offend me again, David?" She pushed her hair behind her ear as she turned around to look at him.  
"No, I promise I am not."  
"Okay then, go ahead and ask."  
"How did you get that scar?"

And in that moment he did. David ran his thumb gently along her lip scar. Her skin was smooth and he could feel exactly where the scar started and where it ended. David didn't care that someone could walk out in that moment and see him touching her. He didn't care about what they may think. He just needed to feel her skin. He needed to know what that lip scar felt like. And, unsurprisingly, it felt perfect; just like she was.

"How did you get this scar?"  
"I think that's a story for another time." Regina moved her face away and flashed him a sad smile. "You should go back inside, I am sure they're wondering where you are."  
"Will you be okay?"  
"I will."  
"If you need anything…"  
"I will call you."  
"Go home and get some rest, Gina." He kissed her cheek. "I will see you around."  
"Have a nice night, David."

He had called her Gina, a nickname no one had ever used on her. Had he done it to make her feel better? Had he done it to feel closer to her? Regina was going crazy inside her mind. She was mad at Robin. She was mad at Emma. She couldn't picture herself going through heartbreak again. Losing Robin saddened her because she had finally believed she had a second chance. But what if she was wrong? What if he wasn't her second chance? What if there was another man in town who was supposed to be her second chance?

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_I would love it if you guys could leave any reviews, it really helps me improve my work. I do hope you enjoy where I will take this fic._


	2. Chapter 2

**I am so sorry it has taken me so long to post a new chapter. Life has been really busy and I haven't had the chance to sit down and keep writing. I promise I will try to post another chapter soon. Please leave a review and tell me how you like it!**

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**Seems I've been playing on the safe side baby  
Building walls around my heart to save me, oh  
But it's time for me to let it go**

He walked into The Rabbit Hole and she was the first thing he saw. Regina Mills barefooted dancing on top of a table. Of course she was as drunk as the bartender had said when she called him. David had officially seen it all and was sure he would never forget this picture.

"Regina." He said her name as he stood next to the table. "What are you doing?"  
"David! What does it look like? I'm dancing! Hey bartender, how about two more shots and whatever Prince Charming wants!"  
"Don't you think you've had enough?"  
"Oh David please. It's just a drink."  
"How many have you had?"  
"All of those." She pointed at a table nearby which held at least fifteen shot glasses.  
"Yeah, I think it's enough. Come on, I'll drive you home."  
"But you just got here." She pouted. "Have a drink!"  
"Gina, come on."  
"I kind of love it when you call me Gina."  
David laughed as he put his arms around her waist and pulled her down from the table. "You really are drunk."

He gently carried her out of the bar over his shoulder and could hear her giggle all the way to the car. As he sat her down in his truck, he could see her glassy drunk eyes and even then the sadness was still visible. Regina would have never allowed people to see her drunk so he knew the pain was so strong for her to be acting this way. He was thinking about it when she touched his lips with her fingertips.

"So soft."  
"What?"  
"Your lips. I should have kissed them that night."  
"You tried."  
"And you didn't let me."  
"If I tell you something, will you remember tomorrow?"  
"I don't know."  
"I wanted to let you kiss me but I didn't think I could have stopped at a kiss."  
"Oh really?"  
"Yes, but you won't remember tomorrow."  
"I hope I do."

David drove in the rain as she played with the radio; god knows what song she was looking for. Part of him was happy the bartender had called him to get Regina because he had been looking for an excuse to see her. Ever since the coronation party, he had been thinking about her. He was worried about her but above all he wanted to spend more time alone with Regina.

"This radio sucks!" She exclaimed. "Nothing good playing."  
"What do you want to listen to?"  
"I don't know." Regina giggled. "I don't know."  
He smiled. "The of course the radio sucks."  
"You have a beautiful smile, David."  
"Well, thank you."  
"You are very welcome!" She laughed.  
"Do you have the keys to your house?"  
"No," she laughed again, "you'll have to break in."  
"Oh boy. You can't be mad tomorrow morning if I break a window, okay?"  
"Can't make any promises, Charming."

Regina went back to playing with the radio as he drove in silence. He knew tomorrow morning he would have to check in on her but he didn't know how she would feel about it. Would she be ashamed? Would she pretend this had never happened? Or would she thank him and they would share a secret?

"Will you now finally tell me how you got the scar on your lip?"  
"I fell off my horse. Not a big deal."  
"Then why didn't you tell me the other night?"  
"Because if I didn't tell you then maybe you would have something to talk to me again."  
"You wanted me to come around again?"  
"Yes. Maybe. No. I don't know. You were nice to me and I had forgotten what that felt like."  
"I was nice because you gave me the chance and that rarely happens."  
"It felt good."  
"You are one of those honest drunks, aren't you?"  
"I don't know. I don't usually get drunk."

He realized she was an honest and vulnerable drunk. Once again he saw how much this woman needed to feel loved, seen, wanted and appreciated. After all, Regina was human and wanted what every other human wanted. He couldn't want her –that would be wrong– but he could love her, see her and appreciate her. David wanted to be her friend.

Once they got to her house, David made her stay in the truck as he went to find a way in. He was about to break the window when he saw she was already inside and laughing at him. He couldn't help it, a smile appeared on his face.

"I remembered I have magic!" Regina laughed as she opened the kitchen door.  
"Good, I didn't have to break any windows."  
"I would have been so upset."  
"You wouldn't have remembered I was the one to break it."  
"You would have felt so guilty you would have told me."  
"Guilty? About what? Rescuing you?"  
"Rescuing me? Chill, Prince Charming." She tried to keep a straight face but failed and a genuine smile appeared on her face. "You," she stroked his cheeks, "are so cute!"  
"You are so drunk."  
"And what are you going to do about it?"  
"I am going to make sure you go to sleep and then I will leave a glass of water and medicine for your headache for you to have in the morning."  
"Always doing the honorable thing."  
"What would you want me to do?"  
"I would want you to kiss me and then fuck me up against that wall!"  
"You are drunk and I'm not going to take advantage of you, Regina." He looked at her. "When I fuck you up against that wall I want you to be aware of it and I want you to want it, not have alcohol speaking for you."  
"So you do want to fuck me."  
"Yes, but I want you to be sober so the next day we both remember it and we both regret it. Now please go lay down."  
"Yes, sir."

As he watched Regina let her body fall on the couch, he knew he was in trouble. He wanted her. He knew that was wrong, he couldn't want her. But even though she had said all those things, he knew she was still suffering because of Robin and his wife. David understood nothing could ever happen between Regina and him. As he pushed the thoughts away, he left a tall glass of water, two headache pills and a note that said "Drink some water, take the pills and feel better. D" on the table by the couch.

When Regina opened her eyes the next morning the entire room was spinning. Her head was throbbing. She could swear she had never felt so physically ill before. Quickly she swallowed the pills and downed the glass of water. That's when she saw the note. At first she smiled at his sweet gesture but then she felt embarrassed. She had no idea what had happened the night before. What if she had done something stupid?

"Before you say anything," she said as he answered her phone call, "I am so sorry about whatever I did last night."  
David laughed. "So you don't remember?"  
"I have absolutely no idea. What did I do?"  
"Nothing, don't worry."  
"How did you end up here?"  
"I had to pick you up at The Rabbit Hole. Rita, the bartender, called me because you were too drunk to drive home."  
"Oh my god. This is so embarrassing. Was that it?"

David decided not to tell her about the rest; it was not worth it. Alcohol had been talking for her and she didn't need to know it. It was a small thing that had happened and he would keep it to himself, he would cherish it. Little did he know that in that moment Regina was starting to remember the previous night.

"Yes, that was it. I drove you home and you fell asleep."  
"Thank you for the water and the pills."  
"I knew you would need them."  
"Thank you for everything. You are a gentleman."

And she truly meant it. He was a gentleman. He didn't embarrass her. He kept it a secret. She respected him for respecting her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Yeah, I'm ready to feel now  
No longer am I afraid of the fall down  
It must be time to move on now  
Without the fear of how it might end  
I guess I'm ready to love again**

"Hangover gone?" He asked as he tapped his fingers on the table and sat down across from her.  
"It's been a week so I sure hope so." She looked up from her book. "Do you always invite yourself to sit at other people's tables?"  
"Since I rescued you the other night I thought you could thank me by buying me breakfast."  
"I think I've already thanked you."  
"Then you just have to buy me breakfast."  
Regina smiled slightly. "What are you having Mr. Nolan?"  
"Don't worry, I already told Granny what I want."  
"You work fast."  
"Sometimes." He smirked and then looked down.

Regina could see in his eyes that he was thinking about the other night; how he had denied sex because she was drunk. Of course David didn't know she had slowly remembered every detail from that night. He had been a complete gentleman recognizing she couldn't consent to sex even if she said she could. But she also remembered he had said he did want to have sex with her once she was sober. Had he meant that or had he just said that because she was drunk? Regina was utterly confused about everything that was happening between them.

"Here you go." Granny said as she placed the plates in front of them. "Pancakes with eggs and bacon for David. Oatmeal with apples for Regina. Enjoy."  
"Thank you, Granny."  
"Are you really going to eat all that?"  
"I'm a growing man."  
"Oh boy." She started eating. "Why aren't you home having breakfast with your family?"  
"I was working last night. After nightshifts I come have breakfast at Granny's. Why are you here?"  
"I needed to get out of the house."  
"How are you feelings?"  
"Look, I don't know what I said the other night," she lied, "but I am okay."  
"I want to believe you, really, but it looks like you haven't slept in days."  
"Believe me, it has nothing to do with Robin."

And she wasn't lying. She had had trouble sleeping but it was because she spent every minute thinking about David. Ever since she had remembered the details from that night she couldn't stop thinking about what he had said. Regina needed to know if everything he had said was true. She needed to know what was happening between them. Could it be possible that David had feelings for her?

"I have to admit something, David."  
"What is it?" He looked into her eyes.  
"I do remember what happened the other night."  
"Everything?"  
She nodded. "I started remembering when I called to thank you."  
"So…everything."  
"Yes, what I said and what you said."  
"Oh boy."  
"Don't worry. It will stay between us."  
"Okay." David looked down to his hands. "I'm sorry if anything I said made you feel uncomfortable."  
"Are you kidding me?" She moved her arm across the table and touched his hand with hers. "I'm the one who should be sorry. I threw myself at you and…well, told you to have sex with me. But you were a gentleman and stopped me without embarrassing me."  
"It was the right thing to do."  
"I know. Although," she smirked, "you did say you wanted to fuck me up against the wall when I was aware of it, I could want it and we could both regret it in the morning."  
"You do remember everything."  
"I do."

David wanted to disappear right there and right then. The reason he had said all those things was because he believed Regina wouldn't remember. Yes, he did want to have sex with her but he didn't want her to know. He wasn't ready to deal with his feelings because he didn't truly know how or what he was feeling. He liked Regina but he didn't know in what way.

Regina could see he was thinking what to say next and it looked like his head was about to explode. She hadn't wanted to make him uncomfortable but she needed to know how he felt about it…how he felt about her. Ever since that night, she had been feeling differently and the reason was David. In a weird way he was helping her forget Robin but now she couldn't stop thinking about him.

"I'm sorry I said that, Gina."  
"I'm not." She moved her hand away from his. "I must admit it was weird but it was a good kind of weird. It helped me feel better."  
"It did?"  
"Weirdly." Regina laughed. "It was the heat of the moment, David. Don't worry."  
"That's the thing. I don't think it was the heat of the moment."  
"It wasn't?"  
"I have been thinking about you since the night at Neal's coronation party. For some reason you stuck in my mind."  
"Okay, this is weird."  
"I know. I'm sorry."  
"No, no. I've been thinking about you since that night as well. Probably why I wanted you to fuck me up against my wall."  
"Probably." David chuckled. "Let's just keep that between us. I'm a married man after all."  
"Yes, you are. And that's why nothing is ever going to happen between us."  
"Exactly."

Regina was about to get up and leave when she saw Robin Hood walking in. He must have seen them from the window because he was walking towards their table. It was the worst timing. There she was talking to David about feelings, or not really expressing them, and the man who had broken her heart walked in. Without realizing it, she was squeezing David's knee underneath the table and he had gently rested his hand on hers.

"Regina. David."  
"Hello, Robin." She said as she squeezed harder on David's knee. "What are you doing here?"  
"I saw you through the window and thought maybe we could talk."  
"We have nothing to talk about."  
"Please, Regina. Give me five minutes."  
She sighed. "Five minutes."  
"Are you sure?" David asked.  
"Yes." She smiled softly at him.  
"I'll be right there."  
"Thank you, dear."

David walked away against his will. He didn't want to leave Regina alone with Robin but he couldn't insist on staying; he had no right to feel mad or jealous. Of course he didn't want her to suffer but he didn't want Robin winning her back. It was selfish because he had just told her nothing could happen because of his marriage and there he was trying to ruin things for her. What he didn't know was that Regina could only think about him and didn't want to get back together with Robin.

"You have five minutes so you better start talking."  
"Regina, I love you. I really do. But I don't know what to do. My wife is back now and I have to do the right thing. My family needs me to do the right thing."  
"I am so tired of people saying that. Doing the right thing. How can one possibly know what the right thing is?"  
"Because it's what my heart is telling me to do."  
"Your heart?" Regina looked over at David. "You think your heart is telling you what the right thing is?"  
"Yes, I do think that."  
"Then do the right thing." Regina said as she stood up and walked away.

Regina walked outside to where David was standing and whispered in his ear. "What does your heart tell you, Mr. Nolan?"  
"What?"  
"What I just said. What does your heart tell you?"  
"My heart is confused, Gina. It knows I have a family to be there for. But it also knows it can't stay away from you."  
"That's all I needed to hear." She kissed his cheek quickly. "See you around, David."

David watched Regina walk away and had no idea what was happening. Her conversation with Robin must have gone good because she was smiling. Or was she smiling because of him? He felt even more confused than before. Why had she asked about his heart? What did it mean? What about her heart? What did her heart tell her? He was asking himself those questions when he got a text from Regina.

"_You always do the right thing. Your heart will tell."_

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**I hope you like where this story is going. Reviews are always appreciated!**


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